The government must not waste anymore time on the coal extraction issue. It should ask the foreign company concerned to start extracting coal from Phulbari and, in the meanwhile, start making arrangements for setting up coal-based power plants. Many private entrepreneurs will be interested in setting up the same, experts said.
The country at the moment has only one coal-fired power plant at Barapukuria. The plant has been set up by a company from the People’s Republic of China, the world’s largest producer of coal-based power. Meanwhile, energy adviser, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said that prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has directed to finalize the coal policy, as the country needs alternative energy sources to produce electricity. The energy ministry will soon hold an open discussion on the draft coal policy with different stakeholders for finalizing the policy on a priority basis.
When asked why another meeting was needed with stakeholders when controversy was raging over the coal policy for the last three years, Tawfiq said, ‘Every government has its own policy and philosophy. Of course, we will consider the investment issues, local people’s concern and electricity generation while finalizing the coal policy.
The previous BNP-led government that first prepared a draft of the coal policy and then the caretaker government held half a dozen open meetings with stakeholders but could not finalize the draft because of controversy surrounding the mining method and fixation of royalty. The only feasible option left before the country is the setting up of coal-based power plants.
Bangladesh has substantial deposit of quality coal. It is now extracting coal from one coalmine at Barapukuria through the traditional method. The extraction of coal from a large coalmine at Phulbari has remained stalled due to controversy over the method of coal extraction. In the absence of an official coal policy, experts as well as politicians are now engaged in a heated debate over the methods of coal extraction-open-pit or traditional tunnel systems. The open-pit extraction ensures nearly full exploitation of the coal reserve but not without a cost. It displaces population settlements, destroys arable land and causes other environmental degradation.
It seems that for fear of political fallouts, the government has been dragging its feet on the issue of coal extraction from the Phulbari coalmine. Accoring to expetts, the time is running out fast. The government has to make a firm decision on the Phulbari coal and start extracting the same as early as possible. This is all the more necessary not to earn foreign currency by exporting coal but to start using the same for generating power.
Meanwhile, speakers at a roundtable at CIRDAP auditorium recently suggested the government to finalize the coal policy immediately through political consensus for setting up of coal-based power plants to address the power crisis. “The government should go for coal-fired power plant even if based on imported coal,” they said.
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Power and Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Maj Gen (retd) Shubid Ali Bhuiyan said that the government should go for coal-based power plant through a political understanding for finalizing coal policy. “If necessary the government should import coal for this purpose,” he added.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Shamsul Haque Tuku called upon the Oil, Gas and Bandar Protection Committee to refrain from their movement in the interest of the country. The sate minister urged the committee not to obstruct the government’s activities with the support of outsiders.
Former State Minister for Power and Energy Iqbal Hasan Mahmood Tuku said that the present electricity crisis was created 20 years ago when the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) withdrew their financial support in the name of promotion of the power sector through the private entrepreneurs. “The government must come out from the World Bank prescriptions to ensure sustainable development in the power sector,” he said.
He also observed that the lengthy bureaucratic process was the main hindrance to improve the power sector. Former State Minister for Energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain said the earlier the alliance government had made a move to go for offshore gas block bidding. “We could not get success because of non-cooperation of India and Myanmar at that time,” he claimed.
“We may have many options for power generation, but coal should be the best option in the present perspective as we are not in a position to go for offshore exploration of gas immediately,” Dr Ijaz Hossain of BUET told at his keynote paper. He said that the country with its 2.0 billion tons of coal reserve can generate 10,000 MW electricity for next 50 years. The Energy and Power magazine organised the roundtable, which was moderated by its editor Mollah Amzad.
The country at the moment has only one coal-fired power plant at Barapukuria. The plant has been set up by a company from the People’s Republic of China, the world’s largest producer of coal-based power. Meanwhile, energy adviser, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said that prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has directed to finalize the coal policy, as the country needs alternative energy sources to produce electricity. The energy ministry will soon hold an open discussion on the draft coal policy with different stakeholders for finalizing the policy on a priority basis.
When asked why another meeting was needed with stakeholders when controversy was raging over the coal policy for the last three years, Tawfiq said, ‘Every government has its own policy and philosophy. Of course, we will consider the investment issues, local people’s concern and electricity generation while finalizing the coal policy.
The previous BNP-led government that first prepared a draft of the coal policy and then the caretaker government held half a dozen open meetings with stakeholders but could not finalize the draft because of controversy surrounding the mining method and fixation of royalty. The only feasible option left before the country is the setting up of coal-based power plants.
Bangladesh has substantial deposit of quality coal. It is now extracting coal from one coalmine at Barapukuria through the traditional method. The extraction of coal from a large coalmine at Phulbari has remained stalled due to controversy over the method of coal extraction. In the absence of an official coal policy, experts as well as politicians are now engaged in a heated debate over the methods of coal extraction-open-pit or traditional tunnel systems. The open-pit extraction ensures nearly full exploitation of the coal reserve but not without a cost. It displaces population settlements, destroys arable land and causes other environmental degradation.
It seems that for fear of political fallouts, the government has been dragging its feet on the issue of coal extraction from the Phulbari coalmine. Accoring to expetts, the time is running out fast. The government has to make a firm decision on the Phulbari coal and start extracting the same as early as possible. This is all the more necessary not to earn foreign currency by exporting coal but to start using the same for generating power.
Meanwhile, speakers at a roundtable at CIRDAP auditorium recently suggested the government to finalize the coal policy immediately through political consensus for setting up of coal-based power plants to address the power crisis. “The government should go for coal-fired power plant even if based on imported coal,” they said.
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Power and Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Maj Gen (retd) Shubid Ali Bhuiyan said that the government should go for coal-based power plant through a political understanding for finalizing coal policy. “If necessary the government should import coal for this purpose,” he added.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Shamsul Haque Tuku called upon the Oil, Gas and Bandar Protection Committee to refrain from their movement in the interest of the country. The sate minister urged the committee not to obstruct the government’s activities with the support of outsiders.
Former State Minister for Power and Energy Iqbal Hasan Mahmood Tuku said that the present electricity crisis was created 20 years ago when the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) withdrew their financial support in the name of promotion of the power sector through the private entrepreneurs. “The government must come out from the World Bank prescriptions to ensure sustainable development in the power sector,” he said.
He also observed that the lengthy bureaucratic process was the main hindrance to improve the power sector. Former State Minister for Energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain said the earlier the alliance government had made a move to go for offshore gas block bidding. “We could not get success because of non-cooperation of India and Myanmar at that time,” he claimed.
“We may have many options for power generation, but coal should be the best option in the present perspective as we are not in a position to go for offshore exploration of gas immediately,” Dr Ijaz Hossain of BUET told at his keynote paper. He said that the country with its 2.0 billion tons of coal reserve can generate 10,000 MW electricity for next 50 years. The Energy and Power magazine organised the roundtable, which was moderated by its editor Mollah Amzad.
Source: Weekly Economic Times, Bangladesh
Link : http://weeklyeconomictimes.com/news-details.php?recordID=3858
Date: 24 May 2009
Date: 24 May 2009
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